You have your anti-aging skincare routine down pat; you never leave the house without wearing vitamin C serum and sunscreen, and you never sleep with your face touching the pillow without applying under-eye treatment and moisturizer. But how are you dealing with your neck?
We put in a lot of effort to avoid signs of aging, such as creasing and wrinkling in the space between our chin and forehead. In reality, the neck often begins to look older long before crow's feet appear. Our neck skin is thinner than our face skin and is subjected to the same harsh conditions. Unfortunately, it also receives far less attention, if any at all.
Over time, skin loses collagen and elastin. Smoking and sun damage can also hasten the ageing of the skin on the neck. These aren't the only factors that contribute to neck ageing. Laxity in the neck develops as we age due to a loss of support from connective tissue and muscle. This causes what is known as a "waddle" or "turkey neck which appears as loose skin under our chin.
Everyone is affected by the appearance of sagging skin on the neck. The platysma muscle, which men frequently flex while shaving, tugs on the overlying skin and causes it to wrinkle over time. Thyroid or neck surgery also loosens the neck and can contribute to an older appearance.
While there isn't much we can do about ageing, we can slow down the physical signs of ageing. Here are some tips for preventing sagging skin and promoting a younger-looking neck.
Sun exposure is well known to cause significant skin damage. This includes the delicate skin on your neck, which is one of the first areas to show signs of ageing. Wearing sunscreen is the single most important thing you can do to maintain a youthful neck and prevent sagging skin, age spots, and fine lines.
An SPF of at least 30 is recommended because it blocks 97 percent of the sun's harmful UVB rays. Whether you're spending the day inside or outside, apply sunscreen to your face and neck every morning before applying makeup. Reapply every few hours to ensure your skin is always protected.
If you've been using anti-aging products for a while, your medicine cabinet is probably stocked with skincare products that claim to reduce wrinkles and give you a smooth, tight complexion. There are numerous creams available to help moisturize the neck, for example. Do they have any effect? The benefit of neck creams is quite limited except if it contains a retinoid.
Retinoids, which include retinol, retinyl palmitate, and retinoic acid, can repair sun damage by reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, smoothing skin texture, and evening skin tone. They accomplish this by increasing collagen production and promoting cell turnover deep within the skin.
Retinoids are powerful, but they can be irritating. Apply a retinoid to clean skin at night and wait a few minutes before applying moisturizer to reduce irritation. Because the skin on the neck is thinner than the skin on the face, begin with a small amount of retinoid and gradually increase. If you've never used one before, a dermatologist can help you choose the right one.
If you're concerned about a double chin, a non-invasive treatment called Kybella may be able to help you achieve the youthful neck you want. Kybella is a non-surgical treatment that consists of a series of deoxycholic acid injections that target and destroy fat cells beneath the chin. Kybella requires no incisions and most patients have little downtime.
While the acid in Kybella destroys fat cells, which are naturally metabolized and eliminated by the body, it will not help with turkey neck. Kybella does not change the skin of the neck or the laxity that may be present in the platysma. A procedure such as HIFU or RF skin tightening may be required to remove sagging skin after Kybella treatment.
Botox is well-known for its ability to reduce facial lines and wrinkles. Similarly, Botox can be injected into the submental area and jawline to give an ageing neck a 'lift'. Botox may reduce vertical cording or banding on the neck caused by platysma muscle contraction. The treatment promotes a younger-looking neck by relaxing the muscles that pull on the skin and cause wrinkles. Botox results last between four and six months, and the procedure can be completed in as little as 15 minutes. However, it works best on vertical lines. Botox has little, if any, effect on horizontal lines that form on the neck due to skin creasing.
It can be difficult to treat sagging skin solely with topical products. At the same time, many patients are hesitant to have loose neck skin corrected surgically. Fortunately, there are several professional skin tightening options that can provide them with the desired results without requiring surgery.
Radiofrequency and ultrasound devices use energy to tighten the neck. The treatments have been shown to tighten loose neck skin by heating the skin and increasing the production of collagen and other important proteins.
We all know about laser hair removal and laser tattoo removal, but these incredible devices can also be used to rejuvenate the skin and promote a more youthful appearance. Laser resurfacing is the process of removing damaged skin layer by layer by directing short, concentrated, pulsating beams of light at the face or neck.
The goal of laser resurfacing is to improve lines, texture, and surface irregularities. In skin resurfacing, two types of lasers are commonly used: ablative CO2 lasers and non-ablative (fraxel) lasers. Ablative lasers provide more tightening, but there is a higher risk of neck scarring. Be careful when selecting a laser doctor.
If you have dark spots on your neck, they are caused by sun damage. Fortunately, you do not have to live with age spots indefinitely. IPL (intense pulsed light therapy) is a laser-like treatment that uses energy to treat wrinkles, dark spots, and sun damage. However, it differs in that it emits light in a variety of wavelengths, making it more scattered and less targeted. During an IPL treatment, the skin's pigment absorbs the light, which is then converted to heat. The heat then destroys the unwanted pigment, causing red and brown spots to fade.
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